Damage to articular cartilage can result from a variety of causes, such as sports injuries, accidents, or wear and tear over time. There are several surgical procedures utilized for repairing articular cartilage damage. One surgical procedure includes the use of osteochondral autograft and allograft implants to repair the damaged cartilage. When the procedure necessitates the use of osteochondral autograft implants, the damaged section of cartilage and bone is removed from the joint at issue, and a new, healthy implant of bone with its cartilage covering is punched out of the same joint and replanted into the hole remaining from the removal of the damaged cartilage and bone. When the procedure contemplates the use of osteochondral allograft implants, the implants are taken from deceased donors, or the implants may be processed and manufactured from human bone and tissue.
An implant inserter device is a crucial surgical instrument utilized during cartilage and bone repair procedures. The main purpose and function of an implant inserter device is to insert the implant into the hole remaining from the removal of the damaged cartilage and bone. The implant must be positioned and inserted into the hole precisely, otherwise the damage would not be repaired and heal properly. Consequently, it is important for a surgeon to have at her disposal a reliable implant delivery device that firmly retains the implant, while providing her with full and complete control of the implant during the insertion procedure. Moreover, the implant inserter device must firmly retain the implant in order for the surgeon to measure, cut and trim the implant to its correct size prior to insertion. What is needed, therefore, is an implant inserter device that sufficiently retains an implant, while enabling a surgeon to have full and complete control of the implant throughout the entire surgical procedure.